Why Were Mummies Made?

Answer

People were mummified to prepare them for the afterlife. Ancient Egyptians believed that a new life starts when a person died. People would cover the mummy with a mask resembling the dead person so that the ba (mummy's soul) and the ka (his invisible twin), would be able to recognise it.

The Egyptians mummified people to prepare them for the afterlife. It was a way to ensure the gods of the underworld would accept them. This was very common among royalty of that time

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2 Additional Answers

The Egyptians used mummification to preserve bodies, whether human or animal. They believed that there was six major aspects that made up a human being, and that all six aspects was necessary to be reborn in the afterlife. They believed through mummification they were assuring that they would have an afterlife.

Mummy is a corpse whose organs and skins have been preserved by either incidental or intentional. Mummification was believed to assure the passage into the next life. You can find more information here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mummies